Most of us have quite good memories, but our memories are limited. For example, we cannot remember everyone we have ever met or what we did on every single day of our lives. However, there are some people who do have prodigious memories. These people have a rare condition known as savant syndrome（学者症候群）. Savants suffer
from a developmental disorder, but they also exhibit great talents that contrast（显出差异）sharply with their physical and mental disabilities.
Kim Peek (1951-2009) was a savant who lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. He was born with damage to parts of his brain, but it seemed that other parts of his brain, particularly those relating to memory, became over-developed.
Peek’s unique abilities appeared at a very early age. When he was just 20 months old, he could already remember every book that was read to him. Peek could read two pages of a book at the same time-one page with the right eye and one with the left-in less than 10 seconds and remember everything he read. By the time he died, Peek had memorized more than 9,000 books. He could remember all the names and numbers in a variety of telephone books. He could remember thousands of facts about history, literature, geography and sports.
Dr. David Treffert, an expert on savant syndrome, once described Peek as “a living Google” because of his astonishing ability to memorize and connect facts. However, at the same time, Peek was unable to carry out simple tasks, such as brushing his hair or getting dressed, and he needed others to help him. In 1989, the movie Rain Man won the Oscar for best Picture. The main character in the movie, played by Dustin Hoffman, was based on Kim Peek's life. He started to appear on television, where he would amaze audiences by correctly answering difficult questions on different topics. Peek-became world famous, and he and his father began touring widely to talk about overcoming disabilities. He inspired a great many people with his words. “Recognizing and respecting differences in others, and treating everyone in the way you want them to treat you, will make our world a better place for everyone.
Everyone is different.”
1. The underlined word “prodigious” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.| A．happy | B．clear. |
| C．amazing | D．short |
| A．could take care of himself |
| B．was born with a good memory |
| C．was the student of Dr. David Treffert |
| D．became brain-damaged at 20 months old |
| A．By giving facts. | B．By following time order. |
| C．By explaining causes. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．respect different cultures | B．listen to different opinions |
| C．treat different people differently | D．respect others’ differences |
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【推荐1】When you hear the word “birthmark”, you probably think of one of those black or brown spots that you have on your body. For me, it’s different―I have them on my lips and inside my mouth. I’m used to being asked, “What are those black marks on your lips?” When I tell people they’re birthmarks, they usually say, “That’s strange.” I used to consider them ugly. However, my mom calls them beauty marks.
In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing (噘起) my lips so I wouldn’t ave to deal with people’ s questions, As I was growing up, people wore me out with them. Some people would ask me the same questions even before knowing my name. In society I feel like we judge people by their looks before their personality.
My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom’s side of the family, My mom’s mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom’s uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. Every year I plan to have procedure to remove them. But when imagining the process, I always get nervous and give up.
My cousin faces a similar challenge. She has a huge birthmark that takes up her whole arm. She’s never tried to hide it or change her appearance. Once, her grandmother told her that the birthmark looked extremely prominent and suggested that she should wear long sleeves more often. If my cousin had actually taken that suggestion, she wouldn’t be such a person as she is.
Inspired by my cousin, I am finally accepting who I am and now I don’t hesitate when someone asks me about them either. I say, “They’re beauty marks” and smile without pursing my lips.
1. How did the author feel when asked about the birthmarks?| A．She felt excited to show her difference. |
| B．She felt annoyed to give others an answer. |
| C．She was scared to be made fun of by people. |
| D．She was bored to be faced with the question. |
| A．Her mother. | B．Her grandmother. |
| C．Her cousin. | D．Her uncle. |
| A．She dislikes talking about her birthmark. |
| B．She never judges others by their looks. |
| C．She is more confident than the author. |
| D．She has taken her grandma’s suggestion. |
| A．Brilliant. | B．Symbolic. |
| C．Harmful. | D．Impressive. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项。
Just 10 years ago, I sat across the desk from a doctor. “Yes,” he said, “there is something wrong with the left, upper lung. You are suffering a severe cancer. You’ll have to give up work at once. Later on, we’ll see.”
Feeling like a man who is in midcareer has suddenly been placed under sentence of death, I left the doctor’s office, walked over to the park, and sat down on a chair. I needed to think. In the next 3 days, I cleared up my affairs, then I went home, got into bed, and set my watch to tick off not the minutes, but the months. Two years later, I left my bed and began the long climb back. It was another year before I made it.
I speak of this experience because these years that passed so slowly taught me what to value and what to believe. I realize now that each day, to me, is a precious thing. I’ve learned to appreciate those little things I never thought I had the time to notice before: the play of light on running water, the music of the wind.
Frequently, I sit back and say to myself, “Let me make note of this moment I’m living right now, because in it I’m well, happy and hard at work doing what I like best to do. It won’t always be like this, so while it is, I’ll make the most of it—and afterwards, I remember—and be grateful. I contribute all these to that long time spent on the fight with cancer.”
1. Which word can best describe the author’s feeling after visiting the doctor?
| A．Hopeless. | B．Curious. |
| C．Confused. | D．Energetic. |
| A．Two years and a half. | B．Three years. |
| C．Three years and a half. | D．Four years. |
| A．was ill |
| B．started his career |
| C．cleared up his affairs |
| D．struggled to go back to his work |
| A．Patients should know how to get on with doctors. |
| B．Doctors should treat patients more carefully. |
| C．We should pay enough attention to diets. |
| D．We should value and appreciate life. |
【推荐3】I always dreamed of studying abroad, to learn at a world-class university while further exploring the grounds on which these nations achieved new milestones of development with each passing day.
To study abroad after my graduation, I could not stop seeking my dream. To take the first step, I did some brainstorming and explored opportunities on the Internet and finally decided to go for China. There were a number of reasons behind it - its advanced education system and thousands of centuries of rich culture inspired me to study there. The primary one was my curiosity how a nation has left many nations behind in a short time at its fast pace of development.
So just like that, I applied, along with some of my friends, for a master's degree program at Communication University of China. I was the only one who got selected in the said program and in addition, the Chinese Scholarship Council sponsored all of my expenses. This good news was welcomed by my family.
This is my seventh month in Beijing. In my experience so far, one thing that appeared to be missing was the internship (实习)which I tried to find because I want to work here after completion of my studies. After some struggles I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work as an intern with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). It' s very exciting to work on their team as a researcher. Now I can proudly say that my decision to choose China as a study destination was the best decision I have ever made.
1. The writer writes the first paragraph mainly to .| A．encourage people to pursue dreams |
| B．summarize the main idea of the text |
| C．explain the reason for writing the passage |
| D．add some background information |
| A．China's rich culture. |
| B．His curiosity. |
| C．China's advanced education system. |
| D．His family's support. |
| A．He is most proud of living in China. |
| B．He wants to be a researcher in his own country in the future. |
| C．He plans to work in China after graduation. |
| D．He found a job upon arriving in Beijing. |
| A．Learning and Working in China |
| B．Travel Experiences in China |
| C．Realization of Dreams in China |
| D．Importance of Having Dreams |
It made me upset for a long time. I felt everything in the world was changing. I thought my classmates were all better than me. During those days I was very unhappy.
One day, my aunt, after talking with my teachers, talked to me. She told me to think about what I had done in the past and what I should do in the future. I was shocked by her words. I thought about what I had done during the past months, and I found I had done nothing to improve my grades. I thought I should work harder.
After that, I paid more attention to the teachers’ talking in the classes, and I asked my teachers or my classmates when I didn’t understand something. I studied very late at night when I met with difficult problems. Most of all, I came to understand the importance of taking notes in class. As a result, I did better in some tests.
About three months later, the most important test came at the end of the term. This time, I stood out not only in my class but also in the grade. From then on, I have tried to do my best when I do something because I know if I want something, I should work hard for it.
1. Why did the writer fall behind in the new middle school?
| A．Because the teachers didn’t treat him well enough. |
| B．Because the subjects were becoming more difficult. |
| C．Because he hated the life in the new school. |
| D．Because he didn’t put his heart into study. |
| A．She punished him for not working hard. |
| B．She helped him find out the reasons for his poor performance. |
| C．She forced him to work harder. |
| D．She asked his teachers to talk with him about his problems. |
| A．Asking teachers for help when in difficulty. | B．Working deep into the night every day. |
| C．Making notes in class. | D．Listening to every word his teachers said. |
| A．The writer failed again in the exam. | B．The writer did very well in the exam. |
| C．The writer became the cleverest in the class. | D．The writer was very proud of his progress. |
【推荐2】Cao Dewang was born in May 1946 in Shanghai. His family is said to have high social standing in Fujian province. But his family background didn’t guarantee a wealthy lifestyle. According to Cao, soon after he was born, his family lost all of their possessions on their way back from Shanghai to Fujian.
After losing their wealth, the family farm became their only means of survival. Cao worked on his family’s farm, and there were many days when he’d go without food. In order to support his family, he dropped out of school when he was 14 and began to work. Nonetheless,he taught himself over a thousand Chinese characters with the help of a dictionary.
Cao began selling tobacco leaves and fruit to earn a living. He also worked as a cook and repaired bicycles. For over twenty years, he worked 16 hours a day to escape poverty.
Cao Dewang was working as a sales manager at a glass factory run by the local government for glass used in water meters. He saved up his earnings until he had enough to buy out the very factory in 1983.
Japanese car producers were looking to set up production of their vehicles in China in the 80’s. Cao saw the opportunity and dove into the production of vehicle glass, establishing the Yaohua Automotive Glass Co. in 1987.
Now named Fuyao Group, it started as a joint venture company before it was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1993 and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2015. Headquartered in Fuging, Fujian, it is currently one of the largest auto glass producers in the world. Audi, Fiat, Ford, Honda, and Nissan are among Fuyao’s biggest customers.
Since 2013, the Fuyao Group had been looking to establish a factory in the U.S. and was looking at possible sites. It picked the site of an abandoned GM assembly plant in Dayton, Ohio in 2014. The factory brought job opportunities to former GM workers who had been unemployed for a long time.
Not disregarding his contributions to China’s economy, Cao is considered as China’s most generous philanthropist. Cao believes, “The more I donate, the more I realize how little use I have for money.” He further adds that his fortune is better used in the education of children.
1. What can be learned about young Cao Dewang?| A．He led a wealthy life. | B．He was home schooled. |
| C．He struggled to survive. | D．He grew up in Shanghai. |
| A．It used to be a car maker. |
| B．It originated from a local glass factory. |
| C．It became the world’s largest glass producer in 1987. |
| D．It first got most of its profits by making water meters. |
| A．It was built in 2013. | B．It won support from GM. |
| C．It hired many laid-off GM workers. | D．It helped restore many abandoned plants. |
| A．Money is worthless sometimes. | B．A good name is better than money. |
| C．Money makes the world go around. | D．Money should be used for meaningful things. |
【推荐3】In the sport of track and field, athletes compete not only with one another but against themselves, and with each race they try to achieve a new personal best.
For one Nebraska teen running in what would likely be his final cross-country outing before graduating from high school, Brandon Schutt's personal best turned out not to be about marking the fastest time but displaying the biggest heart. A mile into the 3.1-mile race, however, Schutt realized he wasn't going to be able to keep up the necessary drive. Rather than risk injury, he slowed to a comfortable pace that would allow him to simply enjoy the moment and the day.
Meanwhile, as a student in Omaha Burke High School, Blake Cerveny was running a very different kind of race. Aiming to beat his own personal record, after a fast start, he continued to push himself hard. With less than 400 meters to go, Cerveny's legs cramped（抽筋）up and failed him. Determined to finish, Cerveny rose from the ground and continued on, only to fall again after another 150 meters…and again, he got up and started running. This time he'd made it only 25 meters more before going down. But he wasn't done yet. Less than 100 meters from the finish line, he lay curled on the ground. His legs had simply given out.
Before Cerveny's dad could reach his son, another runner—Brandon Schutt—was at his side to offer a helping hand. His first attempt to get Cerveny up failed, but like Cerveny, he refused to quit, too. With a second pull, Cerveny was on his feet.
At a measured jog, with Cerveny holding Schutt for support and Schutt helping Cerveny maintain balance, the two completed the final 75 meters of the course together. Schutt even made sure the injured runner crossed the finish line first, securing his opponent a faster time. Although Cerveny was automatically disqualified for having received help, Schutt's time for the race would stand.
1. What can we learn about Schutt at the beginning of the running?| A．He was confident to win the first place. |
| B．He was nervous about the coming graduation. |
| C．He was clear about his own strengths and weaknesses. |
| D．He was dissatisfied with the annoying surrounding things. |
| A．To break his own running record. |
| B．To show his difference from others. |
| C．To be admitted into the national team. |
| D．To turn his father's dream into reality. |
| A．He helped Schutt finish the race. |
| B．He had the first fall at 150 meters. |
| C．He finally finished the race faster than Schutt. |
| D．He injured his own arms on account of the falls. |
| A．Sportsmanship Is What We Should Respect |
| B．A Hero Runner Carries A Competitor To The Safe Place |
| C．Runners Met Again After Crossing The Finish Line Together |
| D．A Teen Runner Helped A Competitor Finish The Race After He Fell Down |
